This invention relates to tufting machines and more particularly to hand-held tufting machines using pneumatic power for driving the reciprocating needle.
Hand-held tufting machines of this general class are universally used as mending tools for correcting faults in tufted fabric such as carpeting. For example, if for some reason, such as a broken yarn, one or two needles of a tufting machine do not form stitching in the fabric, the missing stitches are inserted by the use of the hand-held units known as mending guns. Known prior art mending guns are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,753,820; 2,837,045; 2,887,076; 3,142,276; 3,144,844; 3,225,723; and 3,645,219. Other uses of such guns are found in the manufacture of customized rugs.
Because of the ready availability of a supply of compressed air in carpet mills many, if not most, of the current mending guns are pneumatically driven, the gun having a small pneumatic rotary turbine motor within the handle for reciprocatably driving the needle. However, such a motor is a costly item relative to the cost of the entire gun, being in the range of approximately 50 percent of the overall cost. Thus, it is highly desirable that some alternative means for driving the needle be found.